Jamison Battle Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Contract Details: Diabate, Ingram, Battle, Len, Cissoko, Martin

February 12th, 2025 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets used a portion of their room exception to give Moussa Diabate more than the prorated minimum on his new three-year deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. Diabate will earn $957,763 for the rest of this season, then has non-guaranteed minimum salaries for the following two years.

Diabate’s $2,270,735 salary for 2025/26 will become partially guaranteed for $250K if he remains on his current contract through the first day of the Hornets’ regular season opener in the fall. The full amount would be guaranteed if he survives next season’s league-wide guarantee deadline date on January 7, 2026.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

While it’s not official yet, Brandon Ingram‘s three-year, $120MM extension with the Raptors will have an ascending structure, with 5% annual raises, so it’ll start at $38.1MM next season before increasing to $40MM in 2026/27, with a $41.9MM player option for ’27/28, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scotto adds that the deal won’t include a trade kicker.
Jamison Battle‘s new three-year contract with the Raptors will pay him $1MM this season, with that money coming out of Toronto’s mid-level exception, confirms Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Battle’s minimum salary for 2025/26 is currently 50% guaranteed ($977,689 of $1,955,377) and would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived by July 9, Murphy adds. Battle’s third-year minimum salary ($2,296,271) is non-guaranteed and would become fully guaranteed if he’s still under contract through June 30, 2026.
While the Lakers could technically have dipped into their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Alex Len, that wasn’t necessary. The veteran center received a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract, which will pay him $1,177,206 and count for $743,829 on the team’s cap.
Sidy Cissoko‘s new two-way contract with the Trail Blazers covers two seasons, so Portland will be able to retain him on that contract through 2025/26, tweets Scotto. The same goes for Washington and Jaylen Martin, who got a two-year, two-way deal from the Wizards, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Raptors Notes: Ingram, Temple, Tucker, Barnes, Battle

February 10th, 2025 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors‘ trade-deadline acquisition of Brandon Ingram raised some eyebrows due to the team’s record (now 16-37) and the perception of Ingram as a win-now player. However, appearing on First Up on TSN1050, general manager Bobby Webster insisted that Toronto is “not putting the cart before the horse” and referred to Thursday as “a great day for the rebuild.”

“We got younger, we opened up playing time, we were able to use a lot of the flexibility under the tax to take on contracts, draft picks, pick up some cash along the way,” Webster said of the Raptors’ deadline moves, which included trading Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk to New Orleans as part of the package for Ingram and sending out Davion Mitchell in a separate deal.

“We opened up a lot of playing time for our young players. People have seen with our rookies, Ja’Kobe [Walter], Jamal [Shead], [Jonathan] Mogbo, and Jamison Battle and [Ulrich] Chomche, then second- and third-year guys like Gradey [Dick] and Ochai [Agbaji] — I think the opportunity that moving some of these old guys will afford the young players, we’ll see.”

Webster pointed out that Ingram isn’t much older than the rest of the Raptors’ core players and suggested that there’s a belief within the organization that there could be an opportunity to take a real step forward as early as next season, though the team won’t rush the process.

“Interesting to see as we add a first-round pick, add a second-round pick, hopefully able to retain Ingram, see what that team looks like, but we’ll temper expectations as this team grows,” Webster said. “Scottie Barnes is 23, Immanuel Quickley is 25, RJ Barrett is 24, Brandon is still just 27, so I think even from that perspective it’s a young core. We’ll continue the rebuild, I think this is a progress. No change in progress or timeline.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Ingram will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, but the Raptors now hold his Bird rights and could even extend him before he reaches free agency. Webster is optimistic about getting a deal done sooner or later. “We’re having [contract] discussions now. We wouldn’t do the deal unless we felt there was a comfort level with what he was looking for, what we were able to offer, an interest level in coming to Toronto,” Webster said. “Hopefully we can get something done. (Like) when we traded for Jakob Poeltl, it enables us to get the player in the system and for them to get a feel for us, we get a feel for them. The goal is to have a long-term extension with him.”
Veteran guard Garrett Temple, who previously spent two seasons alongside Ingram in New Orleans from 2021-23, said the Raptors’ front office sought his input before pulling the trigger on the trade, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Temple anticipates a “seamless” fit for his former teammate. “The fact that we were able to get him without having to give up any of our, you know, core pieces was very impressive, and it’s great,” Temple said. “He’s a really great guy. And you can’t say that about a lot of guys in the league, especially All-Star-level players. But BI is definitely that guy. He cares about playing basketball. He loves playing the game of basketball. In today’s league, that’s not easy to say about a lot of people that have been paid.”
Veteran forward P.J. Tucker won’t be coming to Toronto after being acquired from Utah in the five-team Jimmy Butler trade that sent Mitchell to Miami, Webster confirmed (according to Koreen). Tucker remains on the roster for now, but it sounds like he’ll be either bought out or waived outright, which would create a second open spot on the Raptors’ standard 15-man roster.
Speaking to William Guillory of The Athletic about Ingram’s fit in Toronto, Koreen expressed concern about how the former Pelicans will mesh with franchise player Barnes. However, Barnes said over the weekend that he’s excited to build a “special connection” with his new teammate, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays.
In a separate story for The Athletic, Koreen takes a closer look at how Battle went from an undrafted rookie on an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal to a spot on Toronto’s standard roster over the past seven months.

Raptors Sign Jamison Battle To Three-Year Deal

February 7th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Rory Maher

6:05 pm: Battle has been officially promoted to the standard roster, the team announced in a press release. In a corresponding move, Robinson has been re-signed to a two-way deal.

2:04 pm: The Raptors are converting Jamison Battle‘s two-way contract into a standard deal covering three years, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).

As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca observes (Twitter links), Toronto will use a portion of its mid-level exception to give Battle a three-year deal. Once the move is official, the Raptors will have on open standard roster spot and one two-way opening, with one of those likely earmarked for center Orlando Robinson, whose second 10-day contract with Toronto recently expired.

Battle will be paid the veteran’s minimum in 2025/26 and ’26/27 and his deal will be partially guaranteed for those seasons, according to Murphy (Twitter link), who expects the sharpshooting forward to receive more than the minimum in ’24/25.

Battle, 23, went undrafted in 2024 after playing five college seasons at George Washington, Minnesota and Ohio State. He was initially signed to an Exhibit 10 deal for training camp, but impressed the Raptors in the fall and was promoted to a two-way deal in October, just before the ’24/25 season began.

In 35 games during his rookie campaign, Battle has averaged 5.4 points and 1.8 rebounds while posting a strong shooting slash line of .458/.417/.857 in 12.6 minutes per contest. The majority of his field goal attempts have come from three-point range.

Raptors Waive Bruno Fernando

January 7th, 2025 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

10:11 am: The Raptors have officially waived Fernando, tweets Murphy.

7:25 am: The Raptors are waiving big man Bruno Fernando, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Fernando is on a non-guaranteed contract, so cutting him on Tuesday will ensure Toronto isn’t on the hook for his full-season salary.

Fernando, who signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Raptors in August after previously suiting up for the Hawks, Celtics, and Rockets, was sparingly used during the first half of this season even though centers Kelly Olynyk and Jakob Poeltl both missed some time due to injuries.

Fernando appeared in 17 games for Toronto, making two starts. He averaged 3.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 8.6 minutes per contest.

The language in Fernando’s non-guaranteed contract initially called for his full $2,425,403 salary to be locked in if he made the Raptors’ opening night roster. However, the two sides agreed to amend the deal, pushing back the salary guarantee date to the league-wide deadline of January 7.

If Fernando hadn’t agreed to adjust the terms of his deal, he likely would’ve been released before earning any of his $2.43MM salary. Instead, he’ll end up making $1,115,128, a prorated portion of his minimum deal.

That’s also the cap charge the Raptors will carry on their books for the 26-year-old, assuming he’s not claimed on waivers. A waiver claim would ensure Fernando’s full salary becomes guaranteed and would take Toronto off the hook for his cap hit, but it’s an unlikely outcome.

According to Grange, the expectation is that the Raptors will maintain some flexibility with their 15th roster spot for now, perhaps auditioning players on 10-day contracts. That opening could come in handy at the trade deadline to accommodate certain deals. As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet observes (via Twitter), it could also potentially be used later in the season to promote two-way player Jamison Battle to the standard roster.

As for Fernando’s next step, the veteran center is considered a potential target for the Turkish club Fenerbahce, which has been in the market for frontcourt help, notes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Exploring a deal with the EuroLeague powerhouse could be an appealing option for Fernando if he doesn’t get an offer from an NBA team right away.

Five Players On Two-Way Deals Who Could Be Promoted

December 13th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Rory Maher

As Luke Adams explains in our glossary entry, the two-way contract was introduced in the NBA’s 2017 collective bargaining agreement, with additional changes ratified in the 2023 CBA. Players who signed two-way deals before the season began will earn $578,577 in 2024/25, half of the rookie minimum.

There are certain stipulations for players on two-way contracts. They are not eligible for the postseason, and if a team has a full 15-man standard roster, they can only be active for up to 50 games. In cases where a team has fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, two-way players are even more restricted in how many games they’re permitted to be active.

Three players on two-way contracts have already been converted to standard deals in ’24/25 — Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jay Huff each received four-year deals from the Grizzlies, who used part of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to complete the transactions. The Knicks also promoted rookie big man Ariel Hukporti a two-year standard contract using the minimum-salary exception.

Here are five more players on two-way deals who are candidates to be promoted to standard contracts.

Ajay Mitchell, G, Thunder

Mitchell is arguably the strongest candidate to be converted to a standard deal. There’s also a straightforward pathway for Oklahoma City to complete the transaction — the team would only need to waive rookie big man Branden Carlson, who is on a non-guaranteed standard contract.

A 6’5″ guard from Belgium, Mitchell was the No. 38 overall pick of June’s draft after starring in college at UC Santa Barbara. Not only has the 22-year-old been active for every game thus far for the Thunder, who lead the Western Conference with a 19-5 record, he has also appeared in all 24 contests as a rotation regular, averaging 5.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.7 APG and 0.9 SPG, with a shooting line of .478/.418/.800 in 16.0 MPG.

Brandon Boston, G/F, Pelicans

The No. 51 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Boston spent his first three seasons on a standard deal with the Clippers, who let him walk in free agency over the offseason. He wound up signing an Exhibit 10 deal with San Antonio for training camp, was released before the season started, and was claimed off waivers by New Orleans and converted to a two-way deal.

It turned out to be a shrewd decision, as the 23-year-old has played a significant role for the injury-ravaged Pelicans, averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.5 SPG in 23 games, including 10 starts (27.5 MPG). While Boston hasn’t been the most efficient scorer — his shooting slash line is .436/.323/.851, with a 53.8% true shooting percentage — he’s one of the few (active) players on the roster who can create offense for himself and others.

New Orleans only has 14 players on standard contracts right now and has shown a reluctance to carry a 15th man due to luxury tax concerns, so the Pelicans are unlikely to consider a promotion for Boston until he has reached his game limit or the team has ducked below the tax line with a trade.

Jamison Battle, F, Raptors

An undrafted rookie out of Ohio State, Battle has been active for 25 of Toronto’s 26 games, averaging 5.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG while shooting 44.0% from long distance in 24 appearances (13.6 MPG).

Although there’s a pathway to convert the 24-year-old sharpshooter, it would require the Raptors to cut a veteran — perhaps big man Bruno Fernando, who is on a non-guaranteed contract. There’s no rush for Toronto to make a decision on Fernando until the Jan. 7 deadline though, so if Battle does get promoted, I’d expect it to occur later in the season.

Dru Smith, G, Heat

At first glance, Smith doesn’t seem like the most obvious candidate to have his two-way contract converted. The 26-year-old missed most of last season with a torn ACL, and has only appeared in 10 games thus far in ’24/25.

However, he has played a major role off the bench lately. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Smith logged a career-high 34 minutes in Thursday’s victory over Toronto, including the entire fourth quarter for the third straight game, earning praise from team captain Bam Adebayo.

“He’s just making the right plays every time down the court,” Adebayo said of Smith’s impact.

The tricky part about converting Smith is the Heat have a high payroll, which is why they’re only carrying 14 players on standard contracts. They’ll likely wait until after the trade deadline so that they don’t surpass the second tax apron and limit their trade options, but if Smith keeps playing like he has been lately, it seems like a matter of when, not if, he gets promoted.

[UPDATE: The Heat’s impending trade of Thomas Bryant could open the door for Smith to be promoted sooner rather than later.

Jordan Miller, F, Clippers

Second-year forward Miller rounds out our five-player list. In 14 appearances in ’24/25, the 2023 second-round pick has averaged 7.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.3 APG in 16.3 MPG, with a shooting line of .467/.304/.773. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but Miller is a solid, versatile defender who can drive, draw fouls, and create for himself and others.

With Derrick Jones (hamstring strain) out for at least a couple weeks and Kawhi Leonard (knee) still ramping up to make his season debut, Miller has a major opportunity to make himself an indispensable part of head coach Tyronn Lue‘s rotation.

In order for Miller to be promoted, the Clips would need to either waive someone from their standard 15-man roster or make a trade. P.J. Tucker is the team’s most obvious candidate to be traded or released.

Some other two-way players to keep an eye on:

Isaac Jones, F/C, Kings
Jared Butler, G, Wizards
Jamal Cain, F, Pelicans
Trey Jemison, C, Pelicans
Quenton Jackson, G, Pacers
Enrique Freeman, F/C, Pacers

Atlantic Notes: Martin, Simmons, Nets, Raptors, Celtics

November 28th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Entering Wednesday’s contest in Phoenix, Nets wing Tyrese Martin had scored 33 career points in 105 minutes over 21 NBA games. Martin, who is on a two-way deal with Brooklyn, proceeded to light up the Suns, scoring 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting — including 8-of-10 from three-point range — in 28 minutes during the 10-point win, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“S–t, I felt like I was drowning in the ocean. Everybody’s throwing water, it’s cold. A lot of love, though. A lot of love. It felt good,” Martin said of the post-game victory celebration.

“Definitely felt surreal, especially in the environment and situation we’re in with this team. A lot of teams probably take us lightly when we come into town. … But we’re here to compete and play hard. So to do it on this stage against Hall of Fame players like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, definitely a surreal feeling.”

Martin received some extra playing time after it was reported that leading scorer Cam Thomas would miss three-to-four weeks with a strained hamstring. A 2022 second-round pick who spent all of last season in the G League with the Iowa Wolves, the 25-year-old said he took advantage of being a relatively unknown commodity.

“I just feel like they didn’t know who I was. So … they’re probably not going to really pay attention to you on the defensive end,” Martin said. “But I bet you they know who I am now.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Martin’s career night overshadowed to some extent Ben Simmons‘ best game of the season so far, according to Collin Helwig of NetsDaily.com. Simmons was unusually aggressive from the opening tip, finishing with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, nine rebounds, eight assists and a steal in 27 minutes. “I think I’m just getting more comfortable,” the Nets swingman said. “I’ve been away from the game for a while in terms of being healthy and it takes time to get back to back to where I want to be.” Dennis Schröder (29 points, four rebounds, three assists, a game-high plus-19 in 34 minutes) and Trendon Watford (18 points in 22 minutes off the bench) also had strong outings during Brooklyn’s third straight road victory, Helwig notes.
The Raptors‘ first road victory of the season came in blowout fashion on Wednesday in New Orleans. Toronto received contributions up and down the roster, but the play of Jamison Battle (a career-high 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting), Ochai Agbaji (24 points on 9-of-10 shooting, six rebounds) and Ja’Kobe Walter (14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists) was particularly encouraging, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Battle is on a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Ohio State, while Walter was a first-round pick in June’s draft (No. 19 overall). A former lottery pick, Agbaji will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.
How will Kristaps Porzingis‘ return impact the Celtics‘ rotation? Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explores that question and more in his latest mailbag.

Eastern Notes: Ball, Holland, Raptors, Hornets, G League

October 30th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Bulls announced on Tuesday that Lonzo Ball has been diagnosed with a sprained right wrist and will be sidelined for at least 10 days, the veteran point guard spoke to reporters on Wednesday about the injury, explaining that it falls between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 sprain, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“If I play on it right now while it’s still swollen, it could get to a Grade 3. That would require surgery,” said Ball, who had a brace on his right wrist. “Trying to avoid that obviously. Let the swelling down, hopefully tape it up and get back to it.”

It’s an unfortunate setback for Ball, given that his comeback from two-and-a-half lost seasons due to knee surgeries had been off to as good a start as he and the team could have hoped for. Although Ball’s early-season numbers (4.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game on 35.7% shooting) don’t jump off the page, he hasn’t experienced any setbacks related to his left knee and the team has a +20.3 net rating in his 47 minutes of action.

“An unfortunate moment, but it happens,” Ball said. “Hopefully I get over it as fast as possible and get back to business.”

Here’s more from across the Eastern Conference:

No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland has played a modest role so far for the Pistons, averaging 13.3 minutes per night through his first four NBA games and contributing 5.3 PPG and 3.3 RPG. Still, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has liked what he’s seen from the 19-year-old rookie, writes Spencer Davies of RG.org. “The thing that’s been most impressive is he’s just fearless,” Bickerstaff said recently. “You watch some of the guys that he’s gone after defensively, gotten in a few skirmishes already. But (he) just hasn’t backed down from anybody. To be a rookie and young at that, to come in and take on challenges of these proven, veteran guys, I just have a ton of respect for that.”
Once lauded for the rises of unheralded prospects like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, the Raptors‘ player development program hasn’t had nearly as many wins in recent years. However, that could be changing this season, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who takes a look at the promising early-season progress Toronto is seeing from rookies Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, and Jamison Battle.
James Jordan, who had been serving as the Hornets‘ executive vice president and chief operating officer, will move into a senior advisory position beginning this weekend, as Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer details. The older brother of former Hornets owner Michael Jordan, James Jordan has been employed by the franchise since 2013.
The Bulls‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates are among the teams to announce their training camp rosters this week. The Windy City Bulls’ roster includes veteran NBA guard Ryan Arcidiacono and former lottery pick Joshua Primo, while wings Lamar Stevens and Dereon Seabron are among the former NBA players on the Motor City Cruise’s squad (Twitter link).

Raptors Cut Branden Carlson, Two Others; Convert Jamison Battle To Two-Way

October 19th, 2024 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have placed three players on waivers, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), who says that center Branden Carlson and guards Jared Rhoden and Jahmi’us Ramsey are the roster casualties in Toronto.

Carlson was on a two-way contract, while Rhoden and Ramsey were in camp on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts.

Forward Jamison Battle, the team’s other Exhibit 10 recipient, has had his contract converted into a two-way deal, replacing Carlson, Murphy adds.

Battle, who went undrafted out of Ohio State in June, impressed the Raptors at the Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 7.4 points per game on .565/.600/1.000 shooting in five outings (14.0 MPG). He also had a strong preseason, putting up 6.4 PPG in just 9.8 MPG in five appearances off the bench, with a .545 FG% (and a .571 3PT%).

Battle will help provide depth early in the season on the wing, where RJ Barrett and Bruce Brown are among the projected rotation players dealing with injuries.

As Murphy tweets, Rhoden will likely report to the Raptors 905, since they control his rights, and the team should have the ability to designate Carlson as an affiliate player even though he was on a two-way deal. Ramsey’s returning rights are still controlled by the Oklahoma City Blue, so the 905 would have to acquire them in order to get him on their roster.

Toronto is now carrying 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Bruno Fernando on a non-guaranteed deal, and three players on two-way pacts. Assuming Fernando makes the opening night roster, his full minimum salary will become guaranteed.

Raptors Sign Jamison Battle To Exhibit 10 Contract

July 16th, 2024 at 8:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have signed undrafted forward Jamison Battle to an Exhibit 10 contract, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets.

The 6’7” Battle averaged 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 31.4 minutes per game in 35 starts as a fifth-year senior at Ohio State last season. He shot 46.9% from the field and 43.3% from beyond the arc, which ranked second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally. Battle also led the Big Ten in free throw percentage at 92.6%.

Battle played two seasons at George Washington (2019-21) and two at Minnesota (2021-23) prior to joining the Buckeyes.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or the player can earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate, in this case the Raptors 905.

Western Notes: Kings Workout, Jazz Workout, Kolek, Suns’ Targets

June 17th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings hosted a pre-draft workout on Monday that included two of the top center prospects, two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey (Purdue) and Kel’el Ware (Indiana), Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento tweets. Both are projected to be taken in the first round. Jamison Battle (Ohio St.), Boogie Ellis (USC), Rayj Dennis (Baylor) and Jonathan Mogbo (USF) were the other visitors.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Jazz held a pre-draft workout on Monday that included Melvin Ajinca (France), Ulrich Chomche (Cameroon), Tyler Kolek (Marquette), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB) and Tyler Wahl (Wisconsin), Darren Wolfson tweets. Kolek, a point guard, is considered a first-round pick. All the other prospects except for Wahl are ranked among the Top 50 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
Speaking of Kolek, the Suns are expected to target the Marquette floor leader, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Phoenix currently owns the No. 22 pick. The Suns are searching for a traditional point guard.
The Suns will only be able to make veteran’s minimum offers to free agents due to their salary cap restraints. Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com looks at 20 free agent wing options, breaking them down by realistic targets and others that may be out of their price range.